Currently I am completing the third year of the combined M.D./Ph.D. program at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. I entered the laboratory of Dr. Robert S. Freeman in September 1995 as part of a rotation sequence and, subsequently, elected Dr. Freeman as my thesis advisor. As an initial project in the laboratory, I am characterizing a novel gene, termed end-1, that is induced during PCD in sympathetic neurons after removal of nerve growth factor (NGF). This work will likely lead to a thesis project, although one has not been formulated at this time. Abstract. Normal PCD, a complex, coordinated cellular process, has come to be an accepted aspect of development and maturation of the mammalian nervous system. Recent data suggest that apoptosis may also contribute to neuronal insults associated with stroke, seizure and neurodegenerative diseases. The long-term objective of this proposal is to provide information on the molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal death. Specifically, the expression of a novel gene, end-1, that was recently shown to be induced during neuronal death because of nerve growth factor (NGF) withdrawal, will be examined.